


CCTV

by jo19844_twfic



Series: 100 fic prompts [8]
Category: Torchwood
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-07-17
Updated: 2015-07-17
Packaged: 2018-04-09 17:38:28
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 867
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4358258
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/jo19844_twfic/pseuds/jo19844_twfic
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Jack is jealous of the images on the CCTV, but not for the reasons Ianto thinks. <br/>for the prompt CCTV</p>
            </blockquote>





	CCTV

Ianto watched Owen and Tosh walk out of the cog door; it was late and the day had been long and tiring, but he didn’t feel like playing referee. Of course that was only one reason for staying behind, he had other reasons too; one of which being the man that sat in his office glaring at the CCTV as though he was watching something important.

 

Jack watched people pass by, one every few minutes, usually walking with friends or lovers dressed up for a night out. He sighed heavily.

 

"Anything good on?" Ianto asked, slowly walking into the room. "You've been looking at that thing for hours now."

 

Jack didn't need to turn away from the screen to acknowledge he was there. 

 

"Where do you think they go?" he asked. "Every night people pass on their way somewhere but I never get to see where they go."

 

"Maybe they're not going anywhere," Ianto said, carefully moving into the office. "Maybe they're going home."

 

"Home to what?" He jammed his finger down on a button, switching the monitor off, then looked over at him. "Partners, families, room-mate's, friends?"

 

"I suppose a lot are, but not all. Some go home to nothing."

 

"How many people do you suppose actually go home to nothing, Ianto? How many of those people do you think go home to a place that doesn't even seem like a home and spend their life alone?"

 

"Jack--"

 

"Because some people will always be alone for as long as they happen to live, even if they live forever."

 

“Jack?” Ianto sighed. "Do you think we could one day possibly have a conversation about you that isn't completely made up of subtextual scenario's?"

 

"What makes you think I'm being subtextual?"

 

"You're lonely but you can never say it." He walked up behind Jack's chair and put his hands on his shoulders. "You talk about everyone else, but never yourself."

 

"I'm sick of talking about myself." He turned around to face him. "Do you realise just how long I've been talking about myself?"

 

Ianto smiled.

 

"I have nothing left to say."

 

"I want to talk about you," the Welshman said. "I'm worried about you."

 

"Why?"

 

"I thought I could help your loneliness. I thought that maybe if we were together you would realise that you're not alone any more, but I don't think I've seen you look any more lonely."

 

"I'm not exactly lonely."

 

"Then what?"

 

“Honestly?” Jack hesitated for a moment. "I'm jealous."

 

Ianto sat down on the desk like he often did. "Jealous of who?"

 

"Gwen goes home and she climbs into her bed beside Rhys. He grumbles about how her work is taking over her life so she rolls over, gives him those puppy dog eyes, lowers her voice and sweetly says 'sorry'. He forgives her and every day they do the same thing, but he's always the one she goes home to, he's always the one that she wakes up to and kisses goodbye in the dark when he's still sleeping."

 

This time it was Ianto's turn to hesitate. He lowered his head, resting his chin on his chest to try and hide the hurt.

 

"You want to be the person she goes home to?" he asked. "You want to be the person she kisses in the dark?"

 

"Not in a million years." He smiled a little and took the Welshman's hand. "Have you seen her in the morning? Hair all over the joint, eyes half closed-- no. No I don't want that."

 

“So--” He looked down at him a little apprehensively, looking almost disturbed. "You want... Rhys?"

 

"I'm offended that you would ever think that I would drop my standards so low."

 

"I had to ask."

 

Jack smiled then shook his head. "I just want love, Ianto."

 

Ianto dropped his hand and distanced himself without moving away. "I see."

 

"It's not that I don't--" he hesitated, taking Ianto’s hand in his again, lacing their fingers together. "Just because I've never said it, it doesn't mean I've never told you."

 

"I know."

 

"And love on it's own is fine but it's not a life. I've never had a life like they've got; it was always a luxury that I could never afford, and something that I never knew I wanted."

 

"And now you do?"

 

Jack nodded. "Kinda." He looked over at the Welshman without maintaining steady eye contact. "I think I want it with you."

 

Ianto smiled a little. "You think?"

 

"I want it, but I could never ask you for it," he said. "I could never ask you to be to me what he is to her."

 

"You could always _try_ asking."

 

"No I couldn't. I can't even tell you that I love you without disguising it as something else. Do you know how hard it is for me to love someone?"

 

"As hard as it is for anyone else who's lost love before. Once it's gone it's hard to embrace it again without thinking that in the end your heart is just going to end up in more pieces when than it was before."

 

"Me loving you is something completely different to you loving me."

 

"Why?"

"You won't have to lose me."


End file.
